


12 Paramours of Christmas

by BardofHeartDive



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Chess, Christmas, Christmas Caroling, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Party, Christmas Presents, Earthborn (Mass Effect), F/F, F/M, Family Fluff, Feels, Fleet and Flotilla, Fluff, Grissom Academy, Happily Ever After, Happy Ending, In-Laws, Lost in Translation, M/M, Mistletoe, One Shot, Slice of Life, Ugly Holiday Sweaters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-26
Updated: 2016-01-18
Packaged: 2018-05-09 12:02:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 7,529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5539244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BardofHeartDive/pseuds/BardofHeartDive
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Twelve one-shot Christmas scenes, each featuring Shepard and the twelve romances that unlock the Paramour achievement in any of the three games.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Ashley

**Author's Note:**

> Holiday Trivia: The "twelve days of Christmas" are actually the twelve days AFTER Christmas. Mass Effect Trivia: There are twelve love interests that unlock the Paramour achievement in at least one of the games. You can see where this is going.
> 
> All stories use default Shepard, whether broShep or femShep, and are cannon to the games (with a bit of happily ever after). They are not at all related to my other Mass Effect series.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ash gives John the best gift he's ever received. Post ME3.

The minute the door closed, John let out a relieved sigh. It became a groan as soon as he turned around to face his living room. It was littered with crumpled wrapping paper, scraps of ribbon, empty boxes, tissue paper, misplaced gifts, and dishes from the refreshment table.

He tipped his head up toward the second story and called, “Next year, when I say ‘Hey, we should throw a Christmas party,’ remind me that Reapers have nothing on the Normandy crew when it comes to chaos and destruction.”

Ashley stuck her head over the balcony railing and laughed. “Nothing caught fire, no one went to the hospital, and we only broke one piece of furniture. I call that a win.”

John picked his way through the room and flopped onto the couch. He hit something hard and dug a bottle of ryncol out the cushions. Grunt had given everyone a bottle and, since he and Ashley were the only non-krogans who drank the stuff, many of the bottles had been conveniently forgotten by their original recipients.

“Found another one,” he told his wife as she sauntered down to the main floor.

She had changed from her dress into sweatpants and an oversized T-shirt but he had never seen her more beautiful. He was not subtle as he undressed her with his eyes.

“Just what we needed,” she said. She settled onto the couch next to him and handed him a wrapped gift. “You missed one.”

He narrowed his eyes at her, suspiciously. “This wasn’t under the tree.”

“No,” she admitted. “It was kind of a last minute thing. Open it.”

He let the box sit in his hand, studying it warily. It was small and rectangular and fairly light. He’d given her a bracelet for her birthday; this box was about the same size.  
Maybe a matching watch?

“Oh, just open it.”

With a put-upon sigh, he tore open the wrapping paper. It was, indeed a box from the jeweler where he’d purchased the bracelet. Lifting the lid did not reveal a watch, though. Instead he found a white plastic strip. One end was covered with a pink plastic cap. The other had two windows. One labeled “control” had a blue strip running through it. The other, “test,” was filled with a blue cross.

“Ash?”

Happy tears welled in her eyes as she nodded. He threw his arms around her, covering her with kisses. It was a long time before he pulled away.

“When did you find out?”

“Doc confirmed this morning. I was going to tell you when I got home but you were so busy with plans . . . I thought this would be a nice surprise.” She picked up the test from the floor where it had fallen. “Do you know how hard it was to find one of these archaic things?”

“It’s the best present I’ve ever gotten,” John said.

His hand slipped to her belly. He expected her to bat it away but she laid her hands over his. He savored the moment, everything he had dreamed it would be, then let a hint of humor slip into his voice.

“There’s just one problem I see.”

“Hmmm?”

“Who's going to help me drink all this ryncol?”


	2. Liara

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jane explains mistletoe to Liara. Set during ME(1).

For the fifth time in as many minutes, Jane glanced toward the medbay. She had been using the pretense of looking for something to eat as an excuse to stand on the crew deck. In truth, though, she trying to work up the courage to go talk to the newest member of the crew. She had never fallen hard and fast like this and, though Liara had been clear about her interest, Jane always felt like an idiot around her.

This was ridiculous. Conduct unbecoming of an Alliance officer. Channeling her best drill sergeant for motivation, she strode to medbay and opened the door. They wooshed apart, startling Liara who was standing just on the other side, studying something above the entrance.

“Oh! Hello, Commander.”

“Doctor T’Soni,” Jane answered. She frowned to herself. This was all too formal, not the mood she was going for. She cleared her throat and said, “Please, call me Shepard. Or Jane. You could call me Jane.”

Liara rewarded her with smile that made her heart flutter. It nearly flew out of her chest when she added. “Of course. Jane.”

“So - ”

The asari supplied her first name before letting her continue, “Liara.”

“Liara. Is there something wrong with the door?”

“Oh, no.” A lavender blush spread across her cheeks. The change in color made her freckles stand out and Jane barely resisted the urge to trace them with a finger. “I was just wondering about the significance of this plant.”

Liara pointed above her, where a sprig of green leaves and white berries had been hung on the door frame. Jane felt her own face flushing at the sight of it. Her mind raced. She couldn’t believe the chance in front of her but she also wasn’t sure she had the nerve to take it.

“I thought it might be some kind of luck charm,” Liara continued, oblivious to the commander’s inner struggle, “but I’m having some trouble identifying the species. My personal databases include only basic files on botany and focus - ”

She stopped abruptly as Jane’s lips brushed against her still-moving lips.

“It’s mistletoe,” Jane explained. “It’s a Christmas tradition on Earth. Well, ‘practical joke’ might be more accurate. If you see a person standing under it you’re supposed to kiss them.”

“I see.” She looked down, then back up at Jane. “You’re standing under it too.”

Her kiss was as brief and soft as Jane’s but she lingered a moment longer after and before she could stop herself Jane pressed their lips together again. She let out a satisfied sigh, her mouth opening slightly, and she was shocked when Liara took the opportunity to slip her tongue forward. The kiss only ended when they were both out breath.

“I hated mistletoe when I was a kid,” Jane said, “but it’s starting to grow on me.”

“Yes,” Liara agreed. “I think it’s rather nice tradition myself.”

“It’s also traditional to have a Christmas dinner with family and people that are special to you. All we have is MREs but . . . would you care to join me?”

“I’d love to.”

When Liara returned to the medbay afterward Dr. Chakwas was sitting at her desk. She glanced up from her datapad and smiled in greeting.

“I see you put up that mistletoe,” the doctor said. “I really can’t believe you were able to find it on the Citadel. You must have been looking for hours.”

 _Four,_ Liara thought. _And it was worth every minute._


	3. Kaidan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaidan and John share Christmas with their family. Post ME3 (far-ish post ME3).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry to be running late. I hope to catch up tomorrow and be back on track by Wednesday.

John woke up to soft kisses along his neck. The lips travelled across his jaw until he felt warm breath on his ear. A shiver of pleasure ran down his spine at his husband’s voice.

“Merry Christmas.”

He rolled onto his stomach and buried his face into the pillow. It muffled his voice as he answered, “It’ll still be Christmas in a few hours.”

Kaidan chuckled, sliding on top of him. John grunted under the weight but smiled as well. He rolled his hips but Kaidan simply pressed a kiss between his shoulder blades and slipped off the bed. He didn’t move the way he had 60 years ago - a little slower, a little stiffer - but he was just as steady on his feet.

“I’m going to take a shower,” he said, pausing at the door. John raised an eyebrow suggestively and Kaidan sighed, exasperated. “Come on. The kids will be here soon.”

Anne Marie was early as usual with her own daughters, Sophie and May. They ran straight to Kaidan shrieking “Papa!” Their mother gave her neglected father an apologetic look but John just smiled and took her diaper bag. Kaidan had always been better with the young ones. They unloaded the car together, chatting about Jason’s new assignment on the Washington, then started working on dinner.

Elizabeth arrived shortly after lunch in a flurry of wild energy. Her asari partner Tylia followed in her wake, providing a calming balance to Liz’s constant activity. The girls turned their attention to their aunt, leaving Kaidan and Tylia free to help in the kitchen and while everything was setting or baking they took a break for presents. After that the girls took a nap and the adults played kana d’aksha, an asari game similar to Chinese checkers.

At 6:30 on the nose the Shepard-Alenko family sat down for Christmas dinner. They filled their bodies with good food and their hearts with better company but it wasn’t until after they finished that it was time for Kaidan’s favorite tradition.

“The last gift,” he announced and, after a squeal from May, the room fell silent.

“We have you, Grandy,” Sophie said, as May toddled to John with his gift in her hand. It was lopsided and very disproportional but John was able to recognize the mass of painted clay as a five-year-old’s reimagining of the Normandy.

“Model!” May announced and Sophie nodded emphatically.

If he had been on the Normandy he would have taken every ship out of the case to make room for it. He hugged and kissed them both.

“Can I go next?” Liz asked. “I know it’s suppose to be you, Annie, but I’ve been waiting to do this all day and I just don’t think I can wait.”

She went to a knee in front of the asari at her side but only managed to say her name before Tylia threw herself into her arms saying, “Yes! Yes, of course! Yes!”

“Then you’ll need this, Lizzie,” Anne Marie said, taking the engagment ring off her left hand. “I was planning on giving it to you later but it seems like you could use it now. Jason has his mother’s . . . you should have Grandma’s.”

The whole family watched as Elizabeth slid the ring onto Tylia’s finger. There was crying and kissing and the gift-giving only started again when Sophie tugged on the asari’s sleeve and informed her seriously that it was her turn.

“You’re right,” she said, “and actually I have you and May. Though I may have cheated a little because I went in with your Papa.”

“I have you,” Kaidan told Anne Marie, pulling up his omni-tool. “It was actually Tylia’s idea but it needed a bit of help from a Spectre to go through. You’ve only got ten minutes”

After a moment of static a man’s face appeared. He barely got out “Merry Chirstmas” before Sophie and May both cried “Daddy!” and started talking over each other about everything that had happened since he started his tour.

Anne Marie started to insist that Kaidan get his last gift but he handed her the omni, shaking his head, “Ten minutes - don’t waste them. Plus, I’m pretty sure Liz has some news for her soon-to-be in-laws.”

“So, obviously I have you,” John said, when they were alone. He retrieved a box and handed it to Kaidan, who promptly handed it back to him.

“Don’t, John,” he said. “I don’t need it. There’s nothing you could give me that’s better than what I have right here. Because of you.”


	4. Thane

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jane spends Christmas at an award ceremony with Thane. Post ME3.

“I’d like to thank you all for inviting me to speak tonight. I am truly humbled to be here, among so many of the galaxy’s most talented and dedicated individuals. The most promising minds of a new era.”

Since the end of the Reaper War twenty-two years ago, Jane had given variants of that introduction at more engagements than she cared to think about. A speech by Commander Shepard had quickly become the hallmark of high-society events. She received countless invitations from graduations, award ceremonies, and benefits. This was one of the few that she had been excited the accept. It was the only one that she requested.

“On Earth today is December 25th,” she continued. “It’s a holiday called Christmas. Many humans celebrate by giving gifts, often to their family and friends, sometimes to people they don’t even know. When I was thirteen I was living on the streets and I would have frozen to death if it hadn’t been for a local youth group. They were giving away second-hand coats, free in the spirit of Christmas.”

Her life had been published in three separate biographies, so her childhood was not secret. In fact, it was the core of her standard motivational speech and she had said the words so many times they had lost most of their sting. But that year had been the worst and she had avoided it in all her speeches and interviews. Even remembering it now made her hands shake and she gripped the sides of the podium to hide the tremor.

Only one person would ever know the whole story of that coat. How the city had torn down the condemned school that was the Reds’ winter shelter in the name of creating a safer neighborhood. How she had given her own coat, an unlined jean jacket, to Sam, the only Red who was smaller than her. How she couldn’t bring herself to take it off him when she found him dead the next morning or any time after, even when her toes had been numb for days and she could barely stand because of her shivering.

The coat was obnoxiously gaudy, pink leopard print and studded with plastic rhinestones. But it had a hood and deep pockets and, best of all, it was a size or two too big. It reached past her knees and was roomy enough for her to grow into. Her tears had frozen on her cheeks when the man helped her with the buttons since her frost-bitten fingers were too clumsy to do them herself. It was the first Christmas present she ever received that wasn’t stolen.

“While I’m sure they knew I needed that coat, I don’t know if they really understood what their generosity meant to me. It’s easy to say they saved my life but so much harder to explain what a gift that is. This Christmas you have given that gift not to one or one hundred but to thousands and thousands more to come. Because of you there are children who will know their parents. Because of you there are parents who will not bury their children. Because of you there lovers who will have a future together.”

Only one person had ever made her feel as warm as that coat the first time she put it on. Maybe that was why she had told him about it. It was certainly why she mentioned it now.

“And so it is my distinct pleasure to present the 2208 Shepard Humanitarian Award to Doctors Rannadril Sucho Andum Herovas Mirish Dailan, Rannadril Sucho Andum Cann Jerothel Gular, Cixlian Taireki, and Dagnes Tarten Mannovai Savik Brokka Bido for the vaccination against Kepral’s Syndrome.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Headcanon Notes:  
> I sorta cheated. I said that these were not related to my other Mass Effect stories but Jane's memory was stolen from Gina Ewing, one of my not-Shepards.


	5. Jacob

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jacob and Jane spend their only Christmas together. Set during ME2.

This was not the first year Jacob had forgotten it was Christmas. It wasn’t that he specifically disliked the holiday, it just wasn’t that important to him. Of course, as a kid, Christmas had been a highlight but it had lost a bit of its appeal every year as he got older. And then there was the effort it took to keep track of in space. Short of having a dedicated Earth clock and calendar it was practically impossible. Doing all that just to say “Merry Christmas” in passing to the crew was more trouble than it was worth.

All the same some people, namely Kelly, had very strong feelings for the holiday and it just seemed rude not to have one of the cookies she’d made. Especially after she came to the armory specifically to offer him one. He finished sorting through the rifle mods and made his way to the mess. The room was empty except for Shepard, who was nibbling on a frosted snowman and stirring a steaming cup with a candy cane.

“Peppermint coffee, commander?”

“Nothing so extravagant, Mr. Taylor,” she answered. 

Her pose was casual but there was an intensity in her eyes as she watched him approach her. When he was close enough she tilted the mug so he could see it was filled with water. He raised his eyebrow at her as he picked a stocking off the cooling racks.

“Tradition,” she explained. “It was all the Christmas party we could afford in the Reds and half the time we stole the candy canes.” She took another mug and filled it with hot water from the coffee pot. “What about you? What was Christmas like in the Taylor home?”

“Still fishing about my father, Shepard?”

“It’s just a question. Friendly conversation.” She put another candy cane in the second cup and handed it to him. As he took it her fingers brushed his in a way that was more than friendly. “I may be a little nosy - ”

“A little?”

“But I have no hidden agendas or secret motives.” She took a sip from her mug, her lips curving suggestively around the rim. “I am merely interested in you.”

“Then you’re asking the wrong the question, commander.”

“Oh?”

“Doesn’t much matter what I did last Christmas,” Jacob answered. “Or what I’m going to do next. What I’m doing this one’s the only thing that counts”

“And what are you doing this Christmas, Mr. Taylor?”

“I’m going to start by finishing my drink.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jacob is a challenge. I hope this turned out okay.


	6. Jack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John and Jack spend Christmas at Grissom Academy. Post ME3.

“So . . . explain to me why we’re doing this again?” John asked, following Jack through the halls of Grissom Academy. She’d given him the tour and now they were headed back to the cafeteria for dinner.

“A lot of the kids go home over Christmas,” she answered, “but some of them stay. So someone has to stay with them. You know, make sure they don’t blow up the place.”

“And you’d rather be here than home?”

“You shitting me? Anything’s better than Earth this time of year. All the holiday, good cheer, fa-la-la-la-la crap.” She snorted. “No. I like my Christmases like space. Cold, quiet, and empty. The way they were . . . ”

Jack trailed off mid sentence as the doors to the cafeteria opened. A giant tree, easily ten feet tall, had been erected in the center of the room. Half a dozen students were adorning it with ornaments and strings of light. They hadn’t stop at the tree either. The entire room was covered with tinsel and garland. An omni somewhere was playing "Jingle Bells."

“F - ”

“Fa-la-la-la-la?” John supplied.

Jack gave him a look of pure death but managed something slightly less terrifying when one of the students noticed her and ran over.

“What do you think?” she asked, gesturing behind her broadly.

“It looks like a Christmas vid special barfed in here, Cochran,”

“It’s great,” John added, though the kid didn’t seem at all insulted by Jack’s response.

“We’re having a party at 0900 on Christmas,” she continued. “You don’t have to bring presents or anything. We just hope you’ll both come. And we’ll have homemade eggnog.”

“Yeah. Sure. What else am I going to do?” An almost imperceptible twitch appeared above Jack’s eyebrow. “Look, Shepard and I need something to eat and  I think Richardson may be strangling himself with that garland so maybe you should lend a hand.”

The girl nodded and took a few steps back toward the tree then quickly added, “We’re all really glad you decided to stay. It means a lot to us.”

She didn’t give Jack enough time to answer her but to John she let out something between a growl and a groan and said, “I’m spiking that eggnog.”

For the four days before Christmas, Jack made a valiant effort. She suffered through baking and decorating gingerbread men, even though hers were anatomically correct with icing tattoos. She only broke out the alcohol when the music kids decided to organize caroling, explaining that booze was an integral part of wassailing and if there wasn’t any fermented cider on hand vodka would have to do.

At 0900, Jack reported to the Christmas party as though she were facing a firing squad. The students were already there, more than a few of them wearing Santa hats or Christmas sweaters, and she almost stopped. John gave her a challenging look and she rolled her eyes but opened the doors into the cafeteria.

Despite Cochran’s instructions not to bring gifts, there was a pile of presents under the tree. She greeted them with eggnog and a plate of gingerbread then guided Jack to a seat right next to the wrapped packages and said, “You should pass them out,”

Jack searched the room for an out but everyone in the room was watching her expectantly. John sat next to her as she grabbed one of the boxes. The tag on the bow read “To the Psychotic Biotic” so she put it down and took another. This one just said “Jack.” In fact every gift she could see was addressed to her. Dumbfounded, she looked back at her students.

“They’re all for you,” Cochran said. “Commander Shepard said you didn’t really have Christmas when you were our age so . . . we thought we’d try to give you the experience.”

John handed her a box and kissed her cheek. “Merry Christmas, Jack.”


	7. Miranda

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John and Miranda invite Oriana to have Christmas with them. Post ME3.

The door to the apartment hadn’t even opened completely when Miranda pulled John inside. He nearly lost a bag of oranges in the process.

“Good. You’re back. I need you to start on the lights.” She took two bags out of his loaded arms and set them on the counter. “And what took you so long? You’ve been gone for almost three hours. I told you to hurry back.”

“Did you see the list you gave me?” he answered, struggling with the remaining bags. “The food alone took me an hour and a half.”

“I know. I’m sorry.” She took two more off his hands then started sorting through the nearest bag. “I just want everything to be perfect for Ori. It’s her first Christmas without her parents. I’m sure she has fond childhood memories. I . . . I don’t want to disappoint her.”

“You couldn’t if you tried,” he answered, giving her a quick kiss. “So, the lights?”

“Yes. I got the tree taken care of but the rest of the apartment is up to you. Then I need you to hang the stockings and fill them, set up the nativity scene, and start wrapping the presents. They’re in the spare bedroom. Oh, and see if you can find some carols would you? None of the annoying commercial stuff, find something classy.”

John raised an eyebrow at her, “And what are you going to do?”

“Figure out how to stuff and cook a goose.”

“Goose?”

“I’m told it’s a traditional Christmas dish,” she answered, frowning at the wrapped bird. “Along with ham, mashed potatoes, gravy, root vegetables, cranberry dressing, and fruitcake and gingerbread for dessert.”

“You know there are only three of us, right?”

“The lights, John.”

By the time Oriana arrived John had the apartment decorated, the stockings arranged, and an album of orchestral Christmas music playing. A mountain of presents had appeared under the tree and Miranda was putting the finishing touches on dinner. Oriana hugged her sister and gave her another bag of gifts as well, as John took her coat.

“Wow,” she said, surveying the apartment. “You two must really like Christmas.”

“Not especially,” Miranda answered, tucking the new presents in with the rest. “We just wanted you to feel at home.”

“Miranda, I grew up on Illium.” Miranda nodded, still not comprehending her full meaning, so she added, “It’s an asari world. We didn’t celebrate Christmas.”

“Of course not,” Miranda said, putting a poinsettia-patterned bag down in her lap abruptly. “The nearest asari equivalent is quina seminol, celebrated in Thessia’s late spring. About four months from now, I believe.” Her grip on the bag tightened, her fingers crushing into its sides. “I should have known. I’m sorry.”

“No,” Oriana answered, sitting down next to her sister. She gently took the bag from her hands and nestled it between two wrapped boxes. “It can be our new family tradition.”


	8. Garrus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garrus gives Jane a traditional Christmas. Set on the Normandy during ME2 or 3. (Unless the loft doesn’t have a private bathroom during 2, then it has to be 3 . . . )

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And what Christmas season would be complete without late gifts? I hope to have the rest up by the end of the week.

Jane was starting to wish she’d stayed in her hard-suit. On the one hand, it was heavy, bulky, always a little uncomfortable to wear. On the other, lugging it up to her cabin was a pain. She could have left it in the armory, of course, but she was thinking about changing out some of the pieces and she really didn’t want everyone’s opinion of this greave and that bracer.

But she didn’t want to think about the crew right now. Or her armor. Or anything for that matter. The ground mission had been rough and all she wanted was a hot shower and a good night’s sleep, cuddling with Garrus. He said he’d meet her there after the mission.

The door to her private cabin slid open but the lights didn’t come on. The fish tank cast a dim blue light around the room, enough for her to make out unfamiliar, though nonthreatening, shapes in the room. She was going to ask EDI to run diagnostics when the lights came on and a familiar flanged voice called out, “Surprise!”

Garrus was standing in the middle of the cabin wearing a tunic made of a shaggy, purple-brown animal hide. Some kind of tropical vine had been hung around the room, along with strings of emergency lights. A pair of her nylons had been fastened to the top of the model display case. They were filled with knick-knacks and the weight had stretched them until the feet rested on the seat of the couch. An artificial bonsai tree was sitting on the bedside table. Her six pairs of earrings were hanging from the broad plastic leaves.

The absurdity of the scene, and especially the self-satisfied smile on Garrus’s face, pushed the idea of a shower to the back of her mind.

“You did some . . . decorating,” she said cautiously. “What’s the occasion?”

“Christmas,” Garrus said, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Christmas?” she asked, and he nodded enthusiastically.

“I was researching human customs and traditions and I found out that one of the most widely celebrated holidays was coming up so decided to surprise you.” He pointed to each of the items as he listed them. “Garland. Stockings. I was worried about the tree but then I read that artificial trees were actually more common than real ones, and it couldn’t be full sized anyway, so I went ahead with this. I, uh, may have borrowed a few things.”

“I can see that,” she said. Further inspection of the tree had revealed that two of her earrings were missing their pairs. “Okay, I get all this. But what are you wearing?”

“An ugly sweater. The site I found suggested either trees or reindeer. Turians don’t use plants as clothing but I was able to find a faux koomba skin. They’re kind of like deer.”

“It looks - ”

“Ugly?”

The hope in his voice made her laugh out loud. “I was going to go with itchy.” She took its hem and pulled it over his head. She traced lazy patterns against his carapace. “You know what I’d really like for Christmas? A nice, hot shower.”

“Careful, Shepard,” he warned. “You won’t get presents tomorrow if you’re on the naughty list.” But he followed her into the bathroom.


	9. Tali

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tali and John go caroling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back in Jack's chapter I mentioned caroling and the idea was too good to pass up.

“You look good in a pooka, Shepard,” Tali said, adjusting the fur-lined hood.

“‘Parka,’” John corrected. He tapped the back of her hand. She scoffed at him, batting him away, but he simply purred in response. “Come on. You said the immune programs were working.” When that still didn’t work he added, “It’s soft.”

He heard the quiet hiss of a seal closing in her enviro-suit and a moment later the glove slipped off Tali’s pale hand. She stroked the fur, rubbing it between her fingers. Before she replaced the glove he caught her hand and rubbed his cheek against the palm.

“So, tell me about this ‘traditional activity.’”

“It’s called caroling,” he explained, pulling on his own gloves. “We go from house to house, knocking on doors. When they open we sing a Christmas song for them.”

It had taken some time but John had gotten very good at reading her silences the way most people read facial expressions. The one she gave him now was all skepticism.

“It’s also traditional to drink along the way,” he said. She still wasn’t convinced until he added, “And I know for a fact that Garrus helped Jacob and Brynn modify their cinnamon cider recipe to be dextro-safe.”

The group was larger than John had thought, consisting of three other couples, Jacob and Brynn, Vega and Steve, and Traynor and Kelly, as well as he and Tali. They met at the Taylor house, where Jacob passed out books of carols while his wife passed out flasks, then they started their route. At the first two houses they sang “Away in a Manger” and “Angels We Have Heard on High” then Vega convinced them to do a few verses of “Feliz Navidad.” John suspected Tali was doing more drinking than singing but he didn’t realize how much more until the fourth house, where they were singing “The First Noel.”

“Shepard?” she asked, while the others continued singing. She only ever called him “Shepard” when she was drunk. “What do wells have to do with Christmas?”

“‘Noel,’” he answered, trying not to disturb the others. “It’s another way of saying - ”

He gave up as Tali dissolved into a fit of giggles then burst into a startling, but quite pretty, descant of “No well.”

Tali was much more involved from then on. She had a nice voice, though she didn’t know the songs as well as the humans and often made up her own tunes for the songs. She also had questions or comments for John, often “whispered” during the songs like, “The night is not so silent anymore” and “Why are angels singing about crooked C-Sec officers?”

“This is a great tradition, Shepard,” she said, cutting off the end of “Joy to the World,” all attempts at quiet forgotten. “Much better than that silly plant you put up in the living room. Or that red nighty with the boa trim and the ridiculous hat that came with it. Present for me. Bah! We both know who that - ”

“Okay!” John said. “Thank you, Jacob, Brynn, everyone. This was a lot of fun but I think it’s time Tali and I head back.”

“Yes,” Brynn agreed, laughing. “We wouldn’t want you to miss a visit from Mrs. Claus.”

“Wait!” Tali said, said stumbling up the next walk. “One more house, one more! I have a song I want to sing!”

Despite her inability to walk a straight line she was surprisingly fast and she reached the door before the rest of the party could catch her. She tried to ring the doorbell but missed and had to settle for knocking. As soon as it opened a crack she belted with gusto:

“Let the moon’s shining light hide two lovers with its rays!”

John hurried to the door in time to see a young turian girl with her parents standing behind her. He started to pull Tali away while Jacob sputtered apologies but then the girl let out a happy shriek and started too.

“Though I know that dawn will set us on course for separate ways.”

John looked at Brynn, Brynn looked at Jacob, and they all shrugged. The three of them joined in, followed by the rest of the carolers. When the finished, Tali patted the child on the head and said to her friends, “Now we can go home.”


	10. Kelly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kelly and Jane perform a Christmas miracle. Set immediately post ME3.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have found conflicting information about whether or not Kelly opens the Paramour Achievement in 3 but since I only have eleven paramours otherwise I'm going with yes.

Thinking back on it now, Kelly should have known she was too close to the issue to lead the support group. She had advertised it as a body image support group for people who had been affected by the Reaper war. She expected soldiers with amputations and they were certainly the most represented group. But there was also Kristen, who was wheelchair-bound since her spine was crushed evacuating Benning and George, whose face had been severely burned when Cerberus attacked the Citadel. After hearing the fifteen-year-old recount how he was trapped in a burning skycar while the organization that swore to defend humanity shot any would-be rescuers she turned the group over to one of her colleagues and came the next week as a member. She worried at first that the others would resent her, since her new appearance was normal it just wasn’t her, but they were more understanding than most other people.

Changing her name back to Kelly had been easy. Records had been lost during the war and few people had any means of identification. Her appearance was a different story. Surviving medical personnel of all specialties had been called in to help with the casualties. Finding someone willing to help with her particular problem had been impossible. She had tried cutting and coloring her hair but seeing Kelly’s hair on Felicia’s face had been awful in a way she couldn’t quite describe so she’s grown it out again and gone back to blonde.

This particular meeting had been smaller than usual but that wasn’t really surprising since it was Christmas Eve. Jane was touring the local orphanages handing out presents and Kelly could have gone but this was where she wanted to be. After they finished, she helped clean up and bundled up for the short walk home. As had become tradition, George was waiting for her.

“That was a good meeting,” he said. “I liked what you said about not knowing which you is real anymore.” They walked a few more steps in silence then he added. “I’m starting to forget what I looked like before.”

“How does that make you feel?”

“Really?” he asked, stopping mid step to look at her. She shrugged and they fell back into an easy silent stroll. But after a while he started again, “Back . . . before burns were no big thing. They kept the area clean and healthy while they grew a graft, they did the transplant and a touch-up and hey-presto, like nothing ever happened. But now . . . this . . . ” He touched the scars on his face with an equally scarred hand. “This is becoming normal.”

“That’s good Georgie.”

“That’s what everyone keeps telling me.” He rolled his eyes. “I hate it. I’d give anything to look like me again.”

After a long time Kelly said, “Me too.”

They walked the rest of the way in silence. They split up a few blocks north of Tiberius Towers, each wishing the other a merry Christmas. George took transit to the wards and Kelly walked the rest of the way back to the apartment. She and Jane had decorated the week before and even though their ornaments were bits of polished scrap metal and their garlands were strips of multicolored fabric she loved the festive mood it gave the place. Jane was sitting on the couch and after their greetings and pleasantries she sat Kelly down next to her.

“Janey?”

“I have a gift for you,” she said finally. “But I - I don’t know if you’ll want it. I don’t know if it’s even a good thing. I don’t know if you’ll like it.”

“Well, give it to me and we’ll see.”

“It’s not exactly a give to you kind of thing. But I’ll tell you just . . . don’t be mad.” Jane took a deep breath and started. “Do you remember Dr. Dillon?”

“He’s the surgeon who did your shoulder,”

“And my ankle and knee.” She lifted her right arm, which ended at the forearm. “And my arm. Anyway, he’s been working at that temp hospital they put up in Zakera and he knows everyone there. He gave me some names, a plastic surgeon, three nurses, an anesthetist. A whole OR crew who all volunteered to do a purely cosmetic job as a thank you for the Commander Jane Shepard, First Human Spectre, Savior of the Galaxy.”

“If she wants?”

“If you want,” she corrected. “It doesn’t matter to me what you look like. I fell in love with your heart. Your kindness, your compassion. You don’t look like you used to but, well, neither do I. If you’re happy . . . I just want you to be happy.”

“Call them.”

Jane was clearly surprised by her quick decision but she took it in stride. “Okay. Okay I’ll call them after the holiday. I do know they’ll need a picture. I can send the one you gave me or if you have another one - ”

“This one,” Kelly said, sending a photo by omni.

“Kelly? This is . . . ?

“George.” She snuggled in next to Jane, resting her head on her shoulder. “This look, it’s growing on me.”


	11. Samantha

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jane and Samantha play chess on Christmas morning. Post ME3.

Samantha didn’t know exactly what woke her up but she knew immediately that Jane was awake too. She was too still beside her, her body filled with a tense readiness. She snaked her hand under her nightshirt and around her belly.

“The horde approaches,” Jane whispered into her hair.

“‘The horde?’” Samantha asked incredulously but didn’t get any further as Matilda and Genevieve launched themselves onto their mothers’ bed.

“It’s six!” Vivi announced, pulling her sleeve. “Six o’clock! That means it’s time!”

“Time for presents!” Tili clarified, as if there could be any doubt.

“Come on, come on!” The clock counted off another minute and Vivi nearly tore her shirt. “Six-oh-one!”

Jane grabbed her older daughter in an underarm hold and rolled her to the other side. Vivi squealed happily as Jane started tickling her and Tili threw herself into the mix. She landed on top of Jane, bouncing on her shoulder. Sam went to rescue her wife, tickling the younger girl and they seemed to have the upper hand until Vivi wiggled free.

Harder to distracted than her younger sister she shook her mother’s wrist and whined, “You said six o’clock.”

“I did, didn’t I?” Jane said, as though she had honestly forgotten. “What do you think, Sam? Shall I check to see if Santa came this year?”

“A deal is a deal,” she answered, though she gave Tili another quick tickle.

Jane left her family in the bedroom and went down to the living room. She turned on some Christmas music then returned to inform three very serious faces that Santa had in fact been there and that if they lined up they could all go down for presents. The girls shot off the bed to stand in the doorway, then Jane led the procession down to the living room.

It had taken hours for the girls to fall asleep and Samantha and Jane had been up until two getting all the presents out and the stockings arranged. In the end they had been honestly grateful for the milk and cookies that had been left out for Santa. Everything looked exactly as it had when Samantha left it except for a huge, wrapped box sitting slightly off to the side. She gave her wife a questioning look but Jane’s face was a mask of innocence.

The girls tore through their stockings, mostly candies and an orange in the toe, then Jane passed out the gifts, one for each of them, until there was only the mystery gift left. But it was addressed to the girls and it was Samantha’s turn. So she wasn’t completely surprised when Jane pulled a smaller box out of the pocket of her robe and gave it to her.

The box was small, about three inches square, with a tag that read “For My Queen.” The words made Samantha’s heart flutter and she held her breath as she read the tag, ripped the paper. The box contained a chess piece, a queen, made of pale pink stone.

“Oh, Jane,” she breathed, cradling the piece in the palm of her hand. “It’s beautiful.”

“I thought you’d like it,” Jane answered, giving her hand a quick squeeze. “Okay, girls, you’re up. Let me help you with that one. It’s pretty big.”

Vivi and Tili ran the box, followed at a slower pace by their mothers. Jane stood behind it, the top of the bow reaching the middle of her stomach, and put a hand on either side. In one smooth motion she lifted it, revealing two stools and a chess table.

“Rose quartz and hematite,” Samantha whispered, studying the board. The white queen was missing and she gently put the one in her hand in its place.

“Like the one you lost in Vancouver,” Jane said. “And I thought, since I’m one present short, you girls might be on my team for the first game. Your mom always beats me.”

In the spirit of Christmas, Samantha let them win.


	12. Steve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John brings a mystery guest to Christmas dinner with Steve. Post ME3.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I was late for the 12 Days of Christmas but I wrapped it up before Valentine's Day, so I call that a win.

“Come on, John,” Steve said, fidgeting with his cufflinks. “Just tell me who the mystery guest is. I promise I’ll act surprised when they get here.”

“I’ve seen your ‘surprised’ act. It’s does not look nearly as good on you as that suit.” John answered, pouring his husband another glass of wine. “Relax, she’ll be here soon.”

“So it’s a woman?”

“Or I said it to throw you off track.” Steve just looked at him expectantly and he sighed, admitting defeat. “Fine. It’s your mother.”

Steve’s face scrunched together in confusion. “My mother’s dead.”

“I know you thought so,” his husband said, “but she sent me a message a few weeks ago.” When Steve’s expression didn’t change he added, “Is it so hard to believe that with everything going on you just lost contact with her?”

“John, she died when I was at the Academy. The war had nothing to do with it.”

“Then who’s Marisol Cortez?”

Steve’s face went a pale gray-green and he choked on his wine. Indifferent to the spectacle he was creating, he demanded. “We’re meeting Marisol Cortez?”

“Yeah. She said that she was your family, that she lost track of you after Ferris Fields. She saw footage of you from the ceremony for the Normandy crew and thought I might be able to get you back in contact.”

“Does she know we’re together-together?”

“I don’t know . . . I didn’t bring it up. Why? Steve, who is she?”

“When Robert and I got married . . . ” he started very slowly. “We couldn’t decide what name to go with. He wanted to take mine, I wanted to take his, in the end we switched.” After a long, loaded silence he added. “My married name is Cortez.”

“So Marisol . . . ”

“Is Robert’s mother.” Steve sighed, resting his elbows on the table and his forehead in his hands. “Losing Robert was hard on her, harder even than it was on me. He was her only family. I visited a few times after but . . . it just made things worse. Visits became vid calls, vid calls became messages or letters. Eventually I just stopped.” He looked up, a mix of guilt and terror on his face. “She cannot know about us. As far as she’s concerned you are just my CO and I am just your shuttle pilot.”

“Steve . . .”

“Please, John. For me.”

“Okay. But I really think - ”

He didn’t have time to finish because Steve was pushing past him to shake the hand of an attractive older woman in a green sweater. He made introductions, addressing John as Commander John Shepard, and pulled out her chair when she sat.

Dinner passed in a series of awkward pauses and near misses. The only natural conversation was happened with the waitstaff. Steve became more and more agitated as the meal continued. He was frantic by the time they reached dessert and finally excused himself. John followed behind, catching his hand just before they reached the restroom.

“Tell her.”

“John, I can’t. It would kill her.”

“Steve. I love you. But this is ridiculous. There is no way that her reaction could be any worse than the last hour and a half. Just tell her.”

Steve looked across the room to the table where his mother-in-law was still sitting. His shoulders slumped and he nodded. He was more frightened walking back to the table than he had been making crew drops into Reaper hot zones. And just like he had been before, John was his rock, the quiet presence at his back that let him move forward.

“Mari . . . I need to tell you something.” He sat, angling his chair toward hers, and took her hands between his own. “Commander Shepard - John - and I . . . we’ve been married for almost five years now. Last November we adopted a son.”

Marisol pulled her hands out of his, one going to her chest, the other raised between them. There was a very long pause. For moment Steve considered the possibility that the news had stopped her heart and literally killed her. But finally she cleared her throat and asked quietly: “Are you saying I have a grandson?”

“Yes,” John said before Steve could give her any other answer. There was an unquestionable finality in his voice. “His name is Robby.”

**Author's Note:**

> At the end of this little collection, I would like to thank everyone for their kudos and kind words. The response has been overwhelming and I truly appreciate you all sticking with me. I hope you enjoyed reading them as much as I enjoyed writing them. 
> 
> Thank you!


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